POWER PLAY

One of the greatest virtues of the travel industry is its ability to give a bit of soft power to places that really need it. In this issue, our annual Islands Issue, we revisit two island nations that were in the throes of civil war not too long ago, yet through reclamation of their beautiful assets are now well established as desirable destinations. Cain Nunns explores Sri Lanka’s less-traveled east coast—by nature, anywhere that has a “less-traveled” side means that it’s doing well in the way of tourism—and Aaron Gulley indulges in a clutch of luxurious resorts that have sprouted up on truly far-flung islands in Mozambique. Aside from the sheer natural beauty of these countries, a defining feature of both stories is the people each writer encounters—people who are optimistic about their country continuing to build all parts of itself back up, thanks in part to the money and development that travel brings.

The Islands Issue is something I look forward to every year, not just because I’m a sucker for landscapes with a primary palette of blue, but also because narrowing our focus to just islands results in some surprising finds: a high priestess residing in Bali’s hills with deeply emotive healing powers, female chefs prevailing over the food scene in Singapore, and 20 different adventures—from rock-climbing karsts to swimming with whale sharks—awaiting on islands throughout Asia Pacific. There’s sure to be one that tugs at that particular part of your brain that begs you to get up and go, accomplish something, take advantage of this one life you have. Let it. You may just rediscover some power of your own.